Young Thug Says Next Album Will Have a "Dose of Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole"

Thug recently sat down with French website Les Inrocks and the biggest revelation from the interview came when he was asked about his forthcoming debut album, Hy!£UN35, and more specifically how it might differ from the mixtape releases we've heard from Thugger over the years. Bear with us, as the quote was run through Google's never-ever-wrong translation service.

First, I hope it will come out this year. It's a pretty crazy thing in which I tried to make songs, real songs, not the quick stuff like on a tape. A dose of Kendrick Lamar, a dose of J. Cole, this stuff because it's got to be an album and also a trick that goes into club. As your next question will be on the producers, I'll tell you: I am always with London On Da Track, Wheezy, 808 Mafia Mike Will Made It, Ricky Racks ...

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What? A dose of Kendrick Lamar? A dose of J. Cole? Is this the same Young Thug we're talking about? This guy?

As a fan I have always wondered what Thug considered the distinction between his music and his peers in other lanes of hip-hop. Thugger acknowledging that his mixtape material is "quick stuff" and not "real songs" is a relevation for me. If what I've been listening to and enjoying for such a long time is just a collection of throwaway material unworthy of album placement, then holy shit, what is this album going to sound like? Picturing Thug moving through the subject matter of To Pimp A Butterfly or even the personal simplicity of 2014 Forest Hills Drive is difficult to imagine, especially considering the fact that Barter 6 had maybe one song that seemed to touch on complex, emotional topics or showcase social awareness.

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Could we see him address more serious content, experimenting with new sounds, attempting to craft a more cohesive album experience, or will the album come from the same person who said he could write a hit song in a matter of minutes? Thug continued the interview by touching on the difference between mixtapes and albums in general (still a rough translation).

A mixtape is for the street, it's something you do like that, without necessarily thinking about it, because you have to stay in the game. It's like writing an email saying "hello" to your friends. An album is a project with which you have to hit hard.Mixtapes, it's for everyone and you throw them in the trash quickly. While an album is an object that only your real fans take the trouble to buy and know you has prepared something special. I know that everybody listens to me, but only my true fans will go and buy my album.

I don't know what to expect from Young Thug channeling Kendrick or Cole. I don't know what a "dose" of either of those artists might sound like coupled with Thug, especially with production from London On Da Track and/or 808 Mafia. I do know that I have a clearer view on Thug's mentality when it comes to what he thinks will last versus what he thinks will be soon forgotten (and he makes a good point), and that it's possible we haven't even heard what Thugger's fully capable of.

I also hope Hy!£UN35 sees the light of day this year, because I'm a lot more excited right now than I was before I read this interview.

[By Brendan Varan. He listened to "Again" multiple times while writing this piece. Follow him on Twitter.]